


We Were Always Meant to Be

by WolfRune20855



Category: Descendants (2015), Disney - Fandom
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Ben and Mal are getting married, Ben's kinda clueless, Carlos shows up halfway through, Chad is secretly smart, Chad/Lonnie if you squint, Curses, Evie and Mal being bffs, F/M, Gen, Jay and Mal aren't talking anymore, Lonnie and Jay are roommates, Lots of Angst, Multi Chapter, Not Beta Read, Romance, Soulmates, True Love, Wingman Lonnie, cause they kinda have feelings, they're like 20
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-12-06 00:14:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11589075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfRune20855/pseuds/WolfRune20855
Summary: When Jay was fourteen years old, he fell in love with Mal. He didn't know it at the time, but if he had, it wouldn't have mattered to him. For all that he knew, they had all of the time in the world. What he didn't knew was that King Ben was going to personally decree that they come to Auradon, and by the time that Jay figured his feelings out, it was too late.Now, Mal is getting married, and there's nothing that Jay can do about it. But when one wish upon a star goes dreadfully wrong, Jay finds that there just might be a way to get his happily ever after. But at what cost?





	1. Once Upon a Time

He sometimes wondered what it would have been like if they’d never left the island. He knew that it was foolish - stupid, really - but he couldn’t help but wonder. Back then it had only been the four of them. They’d been a family. Above all else they were a family.

Their parents were shit, so they had to look out for one another. He was always talking Carlos out of trouble, or laughing as Evie charmed the socks off of a beggar, or standing back to back with Mal ready for a fight. Back then, they lived for the fight. Back then, they lived for the thill.

Now, they barely lived at all.

Things didn’t go wrong. There were no explosions or tears. Every trial that they faced they came out stronger. They were stronger. Stronger than anybody else in Auradon because at the end of the day, they had each other. He had their backs and they had his.

He never expected things to change. He never expected them to drift apart as they had. As cheesy as it sounds, he had thought that what they had would last forever. They were best friends and things would never be any other way.

But they were. High school had ended. Evie had gone off to share her designs with other passionate fashion designers. Carlos had left to travel the world. Mal...well, it wasn’t as if Mal had left. She was still in Auradon. Jay knew where he could find her. All that he had to do was hop on the nearest bus and stop by the castle.

But Mal didn’t have the time. She hadn’t had the time in a while, and he wasn’t about to take her away from her precious duties. The kingdom needed her. She was engaged to King Ben. In just a few short months, she was going to be queen. She didn’t need Jay bothering her, not after...not after what had happened.

Jay dropped his keys on the counter and let out a sigh. He rolled his shoulders, trying to loosen them up. Coach would kill him if he tore a ligament this close to playoffs. Shrugging off his jacket, Jay walked over to the fridge and pulled out a beer. With a flick of his thumb, he popped the cap off and turned on the TV.

_“As the Royal wedding approaches, the happy couple-”_

With a roll of his eyes, Jay flipped through the channels until he found something worth watching. They really needed to leave Mal and Ben alone. He hadn’t seen them in over a year, but he could tell that she was annoyed by a single glance.

“Look what the cat dragged in.”

“Very funny, Lonnie,” Jay said as Lonnie padded into the living room.

“I thought so,” his roommate said as she placed a white envelope down in front of him.

“What’s this?” Jay asked, picking up the envelope and flipping it over. It was sealed with red wax bearing the royal seal. Jay dropped it as if it burned his fingers.

“I got one too, if that helps,” Lonnie said, “I think that they were sent to everyone in the class.”

Jay frowned. “I’ll pass.”

“Why?” Lonnie demanded, “You were best friends for years. _Years._ That doesn’t all go away because of one mistake.”

“I does.” Jay could feel the bile begin to rise in his mouth. He did not want to have this conversation with Lonnie. Not now. Not ever. The only reason that she knew about it in the first place was because he had been too weak to hold up to her pestering any longer. There was no reason - _no_ reason - for him to go.

Mal had made that clear to him.

“Evie and Carlos will be there.” Lonnie tentatively placed a hand on his arm. “Think about it.”

“I already did.” Jay snatched the letter from the counter, crumpling it in his hand. “I’m not going.”

Not wanting to hear what else Lonnie had to demand of him, Jay retreated to his room. He was not going to the royal wedding. He would _never_ go to the royal wedding. He did not want to see Mal walk down the aisle with a smile on her face. He did not want to see Ben grin in return as their eyes met. He did not want to watch two people that he had considered friends promise their lives to one another.

Not now. Not ever.

* * *

 

_His fingers were running through her hair, moving around playing with the silky strands. She straddled him, her hands roaming his chest as her lips met his. Ferocious. Demanding. Almost like they were fighting. This was a battle. A battle to see who was more powerful, and she wasn’t about to lose._

_Smiling as a wicked plan formed in her mind, she leaned forward, nipping at his lip, as she elicited a moan from him. Perfect. Absolutely perfect._

_Suddenly, she stopped, pulling away so that they were no longer touching. Her plan was ruined as her heavy breathing filled the room. His eyes popped open and his brown eyes met her green one. She could see the smirk in them already._

_Damn him. Damn him and his annoying smirk._

_She did the only thing that she knew would shut him up. She pulled him forward, capturing his lips in hers once more._

“Mal. Mal!”

Mal startled awake, lifting her head off of her desk and glaring venomously at the pair of perfectly manicured fingers in front of her. The hand clapped it’s twin as she blinked the sleep out of her eyes, focusing on the figure in front of her.

Blue hair was pulled up in a braided knot that Mal recognized instantly. It couldn’t be...but it was. “Evie?” Mal asked, hoping that her mind wasn’t playing tricks on her.

“Surprise!” Evie waved her hands. “I’m here. Early. I know that we said that I didn’t have to come back from Paris early, but, I mean, you’re getting married in a month and a half. I need to get started as soon as possible.”

Mal smiled, shaking her head as she stood up to embrace her best friend. They hadn’t seen each other in well over six months, and it was nice to have her sister back. That’s what they were. They were sisters. They were best friends laughed together, cried together, and who told each other everything.

“I’m glad that you’re here,” Mal said, wrapping Evie in a hug.

Evie squeezed her back. “I’m glad that I’m here too.” They moved over to sit on Mal’s bed. “Tell me everything. How is everyone?”

“Carlos is in Neverland at the moment, but he promised that he’d make it in time for the wedding,” Mal answered, “Ben’s doing great, and so are his parents. Jane has taken to running things around here, which can be…”

“Difficult,” Evie offered.

“Sure.” Mal nodded. “Let’s go with that. Doug is good. He’s teaching at Auradon Prep.”

“And?”

Mal blinked. “What?”

“You’re missing one person.”

Mal sighed. “We haven’t spoken since the incident.”

“Is that what we’re calling it now?” Evie raised an eyebrow.

“No. Yes. I guess. It’s been hard, you know? With everything that been going on the last thing that I need to do is be around him.”

“ _He_ has a name. You know that, right?”

“Yes, but...You wouldn’t understand.”

“What wouldn’t I understand?” Evie asked. She grabbed Mal’s hand in her own. “Mal, come on. We’re best friends. The four of us. We’ve been through a lot more than…”

A beat and then, “It’s hard. It’s hard to be around him and not think about how...I just wish that it wasn’t so hard.”

“If wishes were horses,” Evie began.

“Beggars would ride,” Mal finished, “I get that. I do. I just…” She sighed. “Let’s not talk about this. Please?”

“Okay,” Evie agreed. She pulled her sketchbook out of her purse and started flipping through it.

Mal concentrated on the wedding dresses in front of her, pushing all thoughts of _him_ aside. There was no need to think about him. She was getting married to Ben, the love of her life, the man who had seen what no one else could. No one else except...No! She couldn’t think like that. She love Ben. She loved everything about him, and that was why they were getting married. They were meant to be together. He understood the real her and he still loved her.

With a smile, Mal gave Evie her input. She had faith in her. If anyone could make the perfect dress in the short amount of time until the wedding, it was Evie.

As Mal listened to Evie’s extravagant ideas, one thought kept nagging at the back of her mind, but she pushed it aside. It meant nothing. It was just a dream that she had while sleeping on her desk. She was tired, and she as stressed. That was all that it was. That was it.

_Ben’s eyes were blue._


	2. One Jump

Chad Charming was staying on their couch, which annoyed Lonnie(don’t get her wrong, she was very, _very_ annoyed with having her _least_ favorite person sleeping on their couch because his girlfriend had broken up with him. Again.) but not as much as finding Jay’s wedding invitation in the garbage can. That was somehow worse than having Mr. I’m-fairy-godmother’s-gift-to-the-earth-but-cry-every-time-that-Audrey-breaks-up-with-me hanging around the house. Which was saying something.

“What’s that?” Chad asked, from where he was lying on their couch watching _Law and Order: Auradon_.

“Nothing,” Lonnie answered, which of course only caused Chad to become more curious. Chad hopped over the back of the couch as Lonnie uncrumpled the paper.

“Give it to me.” Chad tried to snatch the invitation out of her hands and failed. With a harumph, Chad leaned over Lonnie’s shoulder to get a better look. “That’s Jay’s wedding invitation.”

“Thank you, King Obvious.”

“What’s Jay’s wedding invitation doing in the trash? I’d’ve thought that he’d be the best man or something.”

“He and Ben aren’t that close,” Lonnie offered.

“But he and Mal are,” Chad pointed out.

Lonnie narrowed her eyes. Maybe Chad Charming was a bit smarter than he let on. “They had a falling out. He’s decided that he’s not going.”

“But being the great friend that you are, you’re going to send it in with a yes, aren’t you?”

“Since when are you smart?” Lonnie inquired.

“I’ve always been smart, babe.” Chad flashed her(what she assumed was) a charming smile. Ugh. _Gross._

“Don’t call me babe,” Lonnie snapped. Chad gulped. As Chad had said, Lonnie glanced around for a pen. Instantly, a silver ballpoint pen was held up beside her face. “What-” she trailed off when she noticed Chad Charming’s dumb face behind the pen. Snatching it out of his hand, she scribbled her(and Jay’s if he would just take a moment to think about it) response moments before the door opened.

In stormed Evie Queen in all of her glory. Dressed ever-so-fashionably in a blue fit and flare dress with her dark hair pulled into a ponytail. “Jay!” she shouted. When she didn’t receive a response, she turned towards Lonnie. “Where’s Jay?”

“Practice,” Lonnie and Chad said in unison, which caused both of them to frown in turn.

“When will he be back?”

Lonnie shrugged. “Why? Do you need something?”

“To smack some sense into that thick skull of his,” Evie muttered, “This is all his fault.”

“Technically, it’s not _all_ his fault,” Lonnie said.

Evie huffed. “Fine. Yeah. Mal had a part in it, but, come on, it’s not like it hasn’t been over a year. They should both get over it.”

“I don’t think that he will,” Lonnie said after a minute of silence, “She said some pretty mean things to him.”

“That’s because she has some feelings for him.” Both girls turned as Chad spoke up.

“What are you doing here?” Evie demanded.

“Audrey kicked me out,” Chad said plainly, “Come on, girls, it’s obvious to anyone with eyes that there could be something there if Mal gave him a chance.”

“How do you know?”

Chad chuckled. “Please. I’m, like, the king of relationships.”

“He’s got you there.”

“So, Mr. Relationship Expert, how do we solve our dilemma?” Evie asked.

“I don’t know,” Chad said, “Lock them in a closet or something.”

“That won’t help.”

“What about a forgetting spell?” Lonnie offered.

Evie nodded. “That might work. But I don’t know a witch powerful enough to cast one aside from Mal.”

A beat. “What about Uma?”

Once more the girls eyes widened in surprise. “What _about_ Uma?”

“She’s a witch,” Chad said, “From how things were a couple of years ago, she’s a pretty powerful one too.”

“It might work,” said Lonnie.

Evie laughed. “Uma hasn’t left the Isle in _years_. I doubt that she would now, especially to help us out.”

“So, we go to her,” Lonnie said, “We grab Mal’s spellbook from the museum and go to the Isle. It’s as simple as that.”

“Nothing about what you propose is simple,” Evie pointed out, “None of us have the skillset required to break into the museum, let alone steal a highly guarded artifact. We’d have an easier time turning Maleficent into a human.”

“We could-”

“No!” Evie and Lonnie said.

“Alright, alright.” Chad raised his hands in surrender. “Look, we need a thief-”

“ _We?”_

“Would you stop interrupting me? Thank you. What I was saying is that we need a thief. So, who do we know who’s always one jump ahead of the breadline?”

“Jay,” Evie said after a minute, “We need Jay.”

* * *

 

Wedding. Wedding. Wedding. All that anyone had been able to talk about for the past eight months was the wedding.

_What color should the table runners be, Lady Mal?_

_Do you prefer lemon, white, vanilla, or strawberry, my lady?_

_Mal, should the royal dwarves choir sing before or after the poor little orphans?_

She didn’t know. She didn’t know, and, frankly, she didn’t care.She didn’t care if the bridesmaid dresses clashed with the table runners. She didn’t care what flavor cake she had. She didn’t care what order the entertainment happened. All that she cared about was getting married. That. Was. It.

Mal groaned and let her head fall into her hands. Since Evie had arrived, Mal had thrown herself into preparations, hoping that planning the day of her dreams would take her mind off of other things.

She hadn’t meant for it to happen. Hell, she didn’t know that it could happen. One minute they were two close friends enjoying a drink and the next...She regretted the words that she’d said to Jay. She regretted them more than she’d ever regretted anything, but she couldn’t find the words to fix them. A simple sorry would not suffice. He had let her into his heart, he had shown her weaknesses that few others would ever seen, and she had torn him apart.

She was a horrible person.

“A penny for your thoughts.” Mal glanced towards Ben, who was working across the table. She pushed all thoughts of Jay aside, focusing on her fiance. Her wonderful, fabulous, understanding fiance who only wanted what was best for her.

Not she really felt like a horrible person.

“I was just thinking about…” She gestured to the pile of folders in front of her. “Why don’t we elope?”

Ben smiled. “Mother would kill me.”

He was right. Belle would kill him. She would probably kill her too. Ben was a king, and kings threw grand weddings that were used to negotiate with members of the State. Kings did not elope.

With a sigh, Mal leaned back in her chair. This wasn’t how she’d imagined this day going. Then again, she’d never exactly imagined her wedding day while she was on the Isle. Back then, things had been kill or be killed. They did what they needed to in order to survive. She had tried dating - once - it hadn’t ended well. After that, she’d sworn it off. She’d leaving the flirting to Evie and Jay. Mal was there to make sure that no one hurt her or her’s.

Sometimes, she missed those days. She missed the stealing, and the running, and the howling. She missed how everyone spoke her name with just a tinge of fear. She missed how she, Evie, Carlos, and Jay looked out for each other. She missed the days when it was just the four of them.

Sometimes, she wished that she’d never met Ben.

* * *

 

“I’ll do it.” Jay watched with some pleasure as Evie’s jaw dropped.

“Just like that?” she asked, “You’ll get rid of your memories just like that?”

“I’m not getting rid of _all_ of my memories,” Jay said, “only the one. You need the spellbook to do it, then I’ll get it for you.”

“That’s…”

“Great,” Lonnie supplied, “That’s great. Now all that we have to do is find a way to get to the Isle of the Lost without anyone noticing, and contact Uma without her trying to double cross us. That...sounded a lot easier in my mind.”

“It’s not going to be easy,” Evie said, “But that’s the cost that we have to pay if we want everything to go back to being normal.” Her eyes narrowed at Jay. “That is what you want, right?”

 _More than anything._ “Yes.”

He didn’t want to forget the feel of Mal’s lips, the way that she’d moaned his name. He didn’t want to forget the feeling of all of his dreams coming true, but the part that came afterwards...the part where she called him a worthless bastard. The part where she’s sounded like his dad. He wanted to forget that. And if forgetting all of it was the cost, then he’d just have to learn to live with his losses.

“Just one thing,” Jay said, pointing to the blond haired prince sitting atop his counter, “Is he coming with us?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Yes.”

“You could try to sound a little more happy,” Chad said.

Lonnie frowned. “This is my happy face.”


	3. Look How She Lights Up the Sky

“Somebody down there’s wishin’, Ray.”

“People are always wishin’, Lina. They wouldna be people if they weren’t.”

“This one’s different.”

“How?”

“She’s scared.”

There was a long pause. “You’re goin’ down there, aren’t you?”

“I am.”

“Stay safe.”

“I will.”

* * *

The royal museum had never been particularly well guarded. One would have thought that after all of the break ins and robberies they’d had over the years somebody would’ve said something along the lines of “Hey, maybe we should protect these magical items that everyone wants to steal”, but nobody in Auradon was smart enough to. Or, perhaps the people who were smart enough were the ones that were breaking into said museum to steal from it in the first place.

Either way, Jay had an easy time breaking in. 

Dodge two guards, disable a rather pathetic security system, and he was in. Jay paused for a moment in the entrance, taking a minute to study the royal museum. He had been here many times over the years. The ironic part was that he was usually stealing something or another when he was. 

Huh.

In the center of a magnificent hall sat Fairy Godmother’s wand. It hadn’t been used in years, but that would change soon. He knew from Carlos(who was still in touch with Jane) that her mother planned on giving Mal and Ben a wedding gift to rival all gifts before. Funny, Mal had never been keen on gift giving. Then again, if his mother was the evil fairy who crashed the Christening he probably wouldn’t like gifts either. 

As it was, Jay never spoke to his father. He and his old man had had an arrangement since Jay could walk. Stay out of my business and I’ll stay out of yours. It worked well. Yeah, every once in awhile Jafar would get drunk and yell obscenities at him, but Jay learned a long time ago not to take them to heart.

He paused as he passed the genie's’ lamp. It was empty, of course. It had been for years, but Jay couldn’t help but wonder. He would have been a prince. He would have...No. No. Don’t think about that. This was better. He was better off without his father. He was better off without his memories. 

But he wasn’t better off without her.

Jay tore his eyes away from the lamp, focusing on Mal’s spellbook. As it had never really played that big of a part in any fairy tales it was tucked away in the corner where one would only find it if they were looking for it. Jay smiled at the words written beneath the display:  _ Spellbook donated by Lady Mal. _

Bullshit. 

With a quick move of his lockpicks, Jay had the case unlocked in a matter of seconds. Tentatively, Jay reached for the book, picking it up with gentle fingers. As he did so, a slip of paper fell out. Jay caught it before it hit the ground.

It was a picture from their time on the Isle. They were still kids, probably no older than twelve or thirteen. Evie was going through her awkward phase where she only wore red headbands with her hair in a very tight ponytail. Carlos was scrawny - really scrawny. Jay was wearing his ever present beanie, holding Carlos in a headlock as Evie and Carlos laughed. He was looking right at the camera, more correctly the girl holding it, something shining in his eyes. He was happy. They were happy.

Where did they go wrong?

Frowning, Jay ducked out of the exhibit. “Evie,” he muttered, “I’m comin’ your way.”

* * *

Mal hated corsets.

Actually, she hated alot of things about being a lady. She hated the dinner parties and the endless polite conversation. She hated the fittings and the lords and ladies of the courts. She hated...well, she pretty much hated everything. Except Ben. She didn’t hate Ben.

Mal breathed a sigh of relief as she finished untying her corset, watching as it fell to the ground. Evie had always been much more suited to being a lady of the court that she was. Evie could smile politely and laugh without constantly imagining tearing the tapestries to shreds. Or maybe turning people into toads. That had become a recent favorite of Mal’s. Nobody appreciated a good toad-curse these days.

Godmother, she was starting to sound like her mother. 

With a frown, Mal shifted out of her slip and climbed into her pajamas. That was probably her worst fear. Above all else, she feared becoming her mother. Her mother, who was so evil that no one spoke her name, had been her role model for so long. She wasn’t like Carlos or...Jay. She didn’t hate her mother. She couldn’t really. Not when she finally understood her.

All that Mal wanted was to know where she belonged. Isle or Auradon. She had to have a place.

“There’s quite a lot going on in that pretty purple head of yours, isn’t there?”

Mal jumped, turning to face the intruder. Standing in the center of her room, wearing a deep blue dress, was an ebony skinned woman with eyes glowing brighter than any star. She blinked several times as Mal stared at her.

“Wh-who are you?”

The woman smiled, showing a pair of perfectly straight white teeth. “Oh, sorry. I forget how much of a shock it is for some people. I’m Evangeline.”

That didn’t answer her question. “I demand to know what you’re doing here,” Mal said as boldly as she dared. The Auradon guards had never been the best, but for them to let a strange woman into her rooms was unheard of. No. She had to have gotten in another way. The balcony perhaps.

“That’s simple,” Evangeline said, “you have been wishing a lot lately. Actually, I don’t think that any girl’s wished as hard as you’ve been since Lottie.”

“Who?” 

“Wonderful girl,” Evangeline said, “Had a really big heart. But that is beside the point. The point, the reason that I’m here, is to answer your questions.”

“What questions?”

“Is Ben the right one? Is it that other boy? Are you doing the right thing? Can you survive the rest of your life as a queen? What would it have been like if you’d never left? Although, I suppose that’s more of his question.”

“Who’s question?”

“The boy. Oh, what’s his name? Jay! Yes. Again, we’re straying from the point.”

Mal shook her head. This woman with the glowing eyes wasn’t making any sense. Mal wanted her to leave. Like now.

“I will, darling,” Evangeline said, “but first, I’m here to give you a gift.”

Mal’s eyes widened at her words. A gift. No. No. No. A gift was just about the last thing that she needed. She didn’t have good experiences with gifts, especially ones given before big occasions.

“I’m fine,” Mal insisted, “I really don’t need anything.”

“Nonsense,” said Evangeline, “Trust me when I say that you’ll thank me for this one. Mal daughter of Maleficent, my gift to you is the answer to all of your questions.” 

“What?” 

Evangeline lifted a finger. “Though I lack the wit to invent a verse, I place upon you a sleeping curse. You will see what it is you miss, until you are woken by true love's kiss.” Before Mal had the chance to move Evangeline touched her forehead, watching with a satisfied smile as the girl tumbled to the ground.

As quickly as she had appeared, Evangeline vanished. Mal would thank her for this. Maybe not right now, but she would one day.

They always did.

* * *

_ “You and me, Mal. I’m telling you. We could conquer the world. Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy.” Evie leaned back on the couch, propping her legs up and staring at the ceiling. “Auradon wouldn’t stand a chance if we got off of this godforsaken island.” _

_ Mal blinked, taking in her surroundings. She was on the Isle. She wasn’t sure how, but she was. As was Evie, who now lay on their couch, looking like she had never known anything else. She was wearing a pair of ripped skinny jeans and a blue blouse that looked like it had been made from leftover scraps of fabric. It looked good...but still. It wasn’t something that Evie would ever be caught dead wearing. Not when she had a ready supply of fabrics taking up her apartment and studio. Wait, why would Evie have fabrics when they were so hard to come by on the Isle? That didn’t make any sense. _

_ Mal was dressed similarly, wearing a pair of worn jeans with a paint splattered camisole. Her feet were bare as she sat only a few feet away from Evie. This was...weird.  _

_ “Mal. Mal. Earth to Mal!” _

_ Mal’s head snapped up as her green eyes focused on Evie. Something was off. “Yes?” _

_ “Honestly, I don’t know where you go sometimes,” Evie said, “You’re not thinking about Shrimpy’s threat, are you?” _

_ Shrimpy? Shrimpy? “Uma?” she asked, “What did Uma do?” _

_ “Nothing that matters, of course,” Evie said, “She hasn’t had any power in years. She can’t even get her own lackeys to stay on her side.” _

_ “What are you talking about?”  _

_ “Harry Hook,” Evie stated as if it were obvious. _

_ “What about Harry Hook?” _

_ “Ugh,” Carlos groaned as he slipped into their hideout, “Can we not talk about fish sticks?” _

_ “It’s okay.” Evie patted Mal’s shoulder. “I’d want to forget that I dated him, too.” _

_ “I dated him!?!” _

_ “Denial at its finest. Move over.” Carlos pushed Evie’s feet off of the couch and took the seat next to her, only to have her place her feet on his lap a second later. “But let us be done with such trivial issues as our dear Harrison Hook-” _

_ “His full name’s Harrison?” _

_ “I don’t know. Will you stop interrupting me, Evie?” Evie grinned. “As I was saying. Let us be done with Harry Hook, you have moved onto a new stage in your life.” _

_ “I have?” _

_ “Yes, you have. And Evie and I are rather offended that we were not the first two to know.” _

_ “Know what?” _

_ “Oh, I see how it is,” huffed Carlos, “You’re acting innocent about it. Well, let me spell it out for you. You, my dearest Mal, have been discovered. We know your secret.” _

_ “We do?” asked Evie.  _

_ Carlos sighed. “Yes. We do. We know about what happened between you and-” _

_ A knock came on the overhead light, and Jay slipped in, landing on the floor beside Mal and crossing his legs. “Hey guys. What’s up?” _

_ “What’s up?” Carlos sounded indignant, “What is up is that you two have been keeping a secret from us and it’s time that it comes out. Mal, Jay, we are aware that you’ve been in an illicit romantic relationship.” _

_ Jay smirked and Mal felt her stomach tie itself in a knot. “You are?” _

_ “Yes. I am.” _

_ “What do you plan on doing about it?” _

_ “I-I…”Carlos sputtered. _

_ Jay’s smirk widened into a grin. “Exactly.” _

_ Finally, it came to Mal. That was what was missing. It had always been the four of them. They’d dreamed of the chance to go to Auradon Prep, but that had been nothing but empty promises from a hollow king. It was up to them. They looked after each other. They were family. They would always be family. _

_ And then her and Jay became something else. _

_ “I’m sorry that we didn’t tell you sooner,” Mal said. _

_ Evie smiled, wrapping her arms around her. “It’s fine, Mal. We’re glad that you’re happy.” _

_ “Thanks.” And she was. She was happy. Happier than she’d been in a long time, although she wasn’t exactly sure why.  _

* * *

“You sure that was the best solution?”

“Do you have a better idea, Raymond?”

“No. But they’ll blame the boy.”

“Jay can look out for himself.”

“Yeah, but-”

“Besides, he has his friends. I’m sure that Evie will think of something clever. She always does.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, um, yeah. I bet that y'all did not see that one coming. Now Mal is trapped in a dream world, whatever will she do? I decided to add the character of Evangeline to this story because The Princess and the Frog is one of my favorite Disney stories. From here on out, anything that happens in Mal's dream world will be fully italicized. Tell me what you think of the new developments.
> 
> I'll see you later,  
> Meg


	4. A Whole New World

Evie glanced up from her sketchpad at the sound of the key turning in the lock. A second later, Jay stepped through the door, his brow furrowed in concentration. Chad, who had been drinking a beer atop Jay’s kitchen counter since Lonnie had stormed off in rage, snapped up at the sound of Jay entering.

“Did you get it?” he asked.

Jay pulled Mal’s worn spellbook out of his jacket. “Let’s get this over with.”

“Chad, grab Lonnie,” Evie ordered. Chad left them, and Evie turned to face Jay. “Is everything okay?”

“As okay as it can be,” Jay said, “It’s just that this whole ordeal has brought up a lot of unpleasant memories.”

“She didn’t mean it,” Evie said, “Not really. She was scared, so she lashed out the best way that she knew.”

“Well, it worked,” Jay said, “Nobody’s made me feel that worthless since my dad.”

Evie grabbed Jay’s hand. “You’re not worthless, Jay. You’re good at-”

“Stealing,” Jay said, “Ironic, isn’t it? No matter what, I’m always going to be a street rat.”

“You’re not-”

“So, you got the book?” Lonnie asked as she entered the living room with Chad on her tail.

“The one and only spellbook.” Jay waved the book before tucking it back into his jacket. “Are you ready for what comes next?”

“ _ Are you? _ ” These were Jay’s memories that they were erasing. Mal might not have a choice in the matter, but Jay did, and the thought that he wanted to forget whatever he and Mal had shared frightened Evie. 

“I’m always ready,” Jay answered with forced smugness. This was...the was unnatural. Was it really that bad? Shouldn’t Evie just let things sort themselves out? Yes, Mal was wavering, but Ben wouldn’t blame her for that. At least, she thought that he wouldn’t blame her.

Ugh! Where was a sleeping curse when you needed one?

A knock came at the door and four heads turned. “Where you guys expecting someone?” Chad asked.

Jay shook his head and moved towards the door. A second later he yanked it open, ready to attack. Standing in the doorway was a very frightened looking Jane with her hands raised in surrender. “Don’t hurt me.”

Jay blinked. “Why would I-”

“You have that look to you,” answered Jane, “I need…” She trailed off as she took in the three figures standing behind Jay. “Is there a reunion going on?”

“No,” Evie answer, quickly coming to stand next to Jay. “Just old friends catching up.” She hoped that Jane would ignore the fact that Chad Charming had never been a friend of theirs. Well, not her or Lonnie anyways. She didn’t know how Jay stood him. “What brings you here, Jane?”

“Mal’s spellbook has been stolen.”

“Has it?” It was scary how easily Jay feigned surprise. After all of these years, he was still an excellent liar. Then again, they never really forgot about their time on the Isle. It was hard to forget Hell.

“Yes,” Jane said, “but that’s not the worst part. The worst part is that Mal’s been cursed!”

“What!?!” 

Evie’s mouth dropped in surprise. “How? What kind of a curse is it?”

“A sleeping curse,” Jane answered, “At least, from what I can tell, it’s a sleeping curse. Ben kissed her, but she hasn’t woken up yet.”

“That’s because true loves kiss doesn’t exist,” Evie stated. 

“What?” Chad asked.

“Sorry to burst your bubble,” Evie said, “but if you think that the Fates would be kind enough to give someone as easy an out as that then you’re wrong.”

“How do we wake her up then?” Jay asked.

Evie held her hand out expectantly. A moment later, Jay placed the spell book in it. Jane’s eyes widened. “You’ve had-”

“Yes,” Evie answered, “and you’re not going to tell anyone about it. Understood?”

“Um. Yes.”

“Good.” Evie ruffled through the pages, searching for the one that Mal had pointed out to her. When someone was put under a sleeping curse, they were placed into a dream world that consisted of their own perfect reality. The only way to wake them up was to disrupt their dream world so much that reality couldn’t be denied any longer. The most common way to do this was through a kiss.

When in the presence of a magical entity - such as a fairy, witch, or fairy godmother - a person could dive into the mind of the curse victim. This was usually done through a kiss. The person then had to break the curse by breaking the false reality. The reason that it was called ‘true loves kiss’ was because the only person that could pull the victim out was the one with the strongest romantic connection to them. 

Hence a whole lot of fairy tales and a whole lot of nonsense.

“We need to get to the castle,” Evie said without explaining anything to Jane. “We need to help get Ban wake Mal up.”

Jane nodded and grabbed Evie, leaving Chad, Lonnie, and Jay behind them. “What just happened?” asked Lonnie.

“It would appear that Mal has been cursed,” Chad answered.

Lonnie scrunched up her nose in disgust. “That was a rhetorical question, Chad.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have asked it.”

Jay tuned out the bickering royals, focusing on the two words that had been repeating in his mind since Jane opened the door:

_ Mal’s cursed. _

* * *

 

_ Hand in hand, Mal and Jay walked along the waterfront. It stank, as did most of the Isle, but the two of them had never known any other ports, so they didn’t mind it. As they walked they discussed their friends reactions to the news, completely ignoring the poster plastered to the wall behind them.  _

_ It was a picture of a man with brown hair and blue eyes. A crown sat atop his head. The words ‘Stronger Together’ had been replaced by a rather profane art piece that had been designed by Mal herself. She was actually rather proud of it, seeing as it had stayed up for the last two years.  _

_ “What now?” Mal asked. _

_ Jay shrugged. “I guess that we do what we’ve always done.” _

_ “No good?” Mal asked. _

_ Jay grinned. “Yeah. Us rotten no good thieves.” _

_ “And witches,” Mal reminded him, snuggling into his shoulder, “I’m a witch.” _

_ “How could I forget?” _

_ “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the happy couple themselves?” Mal frowned at the sound of Harry Hook’s voice. Slowly placing one foot he approached them in what Mal was sure was the pirate’s attempt at swagger. _

_ “Go away, Harry,” Mal said.  _

_ “That’s all that you ever wanted from me, isn’t it, Mal? To disappear.” He turned to Jay. “Good luck with this one. She’s a real bitch.” _

_ “She’s my girlfriend, Captain Handy. So, I’d watch what you said around her.” _

_ “Whatever, man,” Harry said, “She’s damaged goods anyways.” _

_ “Who are  _ you _ calling damaged?” _

_ “Harry, Harry, Harry. Are you disturbing this nice man and lady?” Uma suddenly appeared next to Harry and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Why don’t you tell them that you’re sorry and then they can be on their way?” _

_ Harry frowned. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. _

_ “What was that?” asked Mal, “I couldn’t hear you.” _

_ “I’m sorry,” Harry repeated much louder. With that said, Uma grabbed his arm and dragged him away from them. _

_ “Who’d have thought that Uma would end up being the sane one?” _

_ “Not me,” Mal answered, “That’s for sure. I still can’t believe that I ever dated that loser.” _

_ “Neither could any of us at the time. I still don’t.” _

_ “But we make sense?” Mal asked nervously. _

_ Jay brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “We will always make sense.” _

* * *

 

“What’s going to happen is that you’re going to enter Mal’s mind,” Evie explained to the king in front of her, “Now when you do so, you will be entering a world controlled by her subconscious. You will be wherever her subconscious puts you. When you get there, you need to locate her, and to make her understand that it’s not real. Is that understood?”

Ben took a deep breath. Mal was sleeping on the bed in front of him. She looked so peaceful. What could she be dreaming about? “I understand.” He turned to Jane. “As soon as we get her back, we need to find out who cursed her and stole the spell book.”

He missed the nervous glance that Jane sent Evie. “That’s understood.”

“Are you ready?” Evie asked, grabbing Ben’s hand in her own.

“Yes.” Ben lent over and caringly kissed Mal.

* * *

 

_ Ben blinked the spots out of his eyes as he focused on the room around him. He was in the palace. That was good. He stood in front of a mirror getting fitted for his wedding suit, much as he had earlier that day. That was good. This was good. This was great. _

_ Now all that he had to do was to find Mal and convince her that this wasn’t real. _

_ “Henry,” he said and his tailor stood up. _

_ “Yes, sire?” _

_ “Can you tell me where Mal is?” _

_ “Who, sire?” _

_ Ben froze. “Mal. The daughter of Maleficent.” _

_ Henry snarled. “I’d imagine that she’s on the Isle with the rest of the villainous scum. Why do you inquire, sire?” _

_ “It’s…” Ben sat down. “It’s nothing. My fitting is done for the day.” _

_ “As you wish.” Henry bowed and retreated from the room. Ban ran his hands down his face. How was this possible? Evie had explained that he would be entering Mal’s perfect world. How was this Mal’s perfect world if she’s never left the Isle? This wasn’t right.  _

_ With a sigh, Ben stood up. This was...He had to fix this. He sat down at his desk and pulled up the Auradon files on the villains of the Isle of the Lost. There she was. Mal. She looked more or less the same, with that beautiful spark in her eyes and a wicked smile on her lips. The file was composed of various pictures of her.  _

_ So, she was still on the Isle. In her perfect world, she was still on the Isle. Ben scrolled through pictures that had been magically taken over the past few days. There were some with Evie and with Carlos. There was even one where she was painting a huge mural on the wall. It seemed to be a picture of a magical lamp. _

_ Ben froze as the next image appeared. Mal was standing dressed in her usual purple leather with a tall figure. Standing wasn’t the right word. Passionately making out against the side of a building was better. The muscles in Ben’s jaw tightened as he took in the figure. He recognized him. He recognized him all too well. _

_ In Mal’s perfect world she was with Jay. _

* * *

 

Gasping, Ben fell to the ground. As he sat up, he processed the information that he had learned. It wasn’t...How was it....No. He refused to accept it. They were true love. There was no way that in Mal’s perfect little world that they weren’t together. This had to be something else. Maybe it was her Hell.

As much as Ben wanted to believe that, he knew that he couldn’t. Evie had explained it to him flawlessly. This was Mal’s subconscious. There was no denying this. Not anymore.

“Did it work?” Jane asked hopefully.

Wordlessly, Ben shook his head.

“That can’t be possible. We need to try again. I’m sure that this time it will work.”

“No,” Ben croaked.

“No?”

Ben pulled his hand from Evie’s, refusing to meet either of their eyes. “We need to find Jay.” 


End file.
